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BULLYING

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BULLYING

Bullying can be defined in a variety of ways; some prefer to define bullying as it refers to school children because bullying is perceived to be more prevalent in schools.

“Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual.” – Wikipedia

The above definition refers to the repeated use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing, or threat with the intent to aggressively dominate or intimidate, and this can occur at home, in schools, at the office, and in a variety of other social settings where there is human relationship and communication. This act is unusually handed out to someone who is not on equal footing with the Bully. To put it another way, there is usually an imbalance between the bully and the bullied. This imbalance can be caused by a difference in age, class, religion, gender, sexual orientation, numerical advantage, size, strength, ability, and so on. On most occasions, the bully has an advantage over the bullied.

 

Bullying differs from conflict because of the power imbalance between the bully and the bullied. In a conflict, the two parties are usually a match or nearly a match for each other, and there is some sort of balance, even if there can only be a victor and a victim at the end.

 

Bullying can come in different ways:

Physical bullying is the most common type of bullying because it involves physical actions such as beating, slapping, stealing, intentional destruction of one’s property, and so on. Bullying does not just become physical; it has to accumulate over time before it becomes physical.

 

Name-calling, body shaming, yelling, threats, and insults are all examples of Verbal bullying. Typically, this type of bullying is not visible until it progresses to physical bullying. Verbal bullying is most common among women, and it is done to demonstrate superiority.

 

Some bullies purposefully make their victims feel excluded, ostracized, and isolated, causing them to believe they do not belong in their class; they intentionally misinterpret their victims’ actions and spread rumors about them; and, occasionally, they expose their victims’ secrets or threaten to do so in order to gain control over them. Relationship is the tool used in this case. Rational bullying is a type of bullying that is usually not visible; in fact, the bully may be unaware that he or she is being bullied.

 

Another type of bullying is Cyberbullying, which is done using the internet, phones, or other social media to threaten, harass, or intimidate someone. These bullies will occasionally post hateful comments on the internet under the disguise of anonymous users. The goal is to mock or berate those who are being bullied.

 

Another type of bullying that is common in schools or workplaces is Sexual bullying; it can be physical or nonphysical, and it can sometimes lead to sexual harassment. A good example is when a boy threatens to post a Lady’s nude pictures on social media if she talks about living their relationship, effectively holding her against her will. This also occurs in the workplace, usually between superiors and subordinates, and can result in sexual harassment.

 

There are different reasons why people bully others and some of the reasons are:

 

1. Low Self Esteem – This is a general sense of inadequacy. People who have low self-esteem constantly believe they are not good enough, smart enough, or beautiful enough. This feeling drives some people to become bullies; they try to bring down those they believe are better than them in order to be on the same level; some do this by spreading false rumors about their targets.

 

2. Egos – This is a superiority complex, a belief that you are better than the other person and, as a result, make the other person feel inferior to you. These are the bullies who usually persuade a group of friends to form a clique. Not everyone can be a part of the clique, and those who are not a part of it are considered inferior. Cliques are usually made up of people who have similar personalities, belong to the same economic class, or have the same status or position.

 

3. Bullied Bully – This is a situation in which someone becomes a bully solely because he has been or continues to be bullied. If a child has been bullied at home, he or she may bully other children at school. Another example is a junior who was bullied by a senior; when this junior becomes a senior, he bullies the juniors.

4. Loneliness – When a person feels lonely and unimportant and receives no attention, he is likely to feel bad. In order to feel better, he may resort to bullying in order to be noticed, as this will direct some attention to him.

 

5. Jealousy – This is a situation in which the bully believes he is more deserving of a position, attention, or a post than the person to whom the position was given, and as a result, he becomes jealous and bullies the person. These bullies typically use words to bring down their targets; they may also spread rumors in order to discredit their targets and prove to themselves that they are superior.

 

6. Attention Seeking – Some bullies harass in order to be noticed and respected; they are motivated by this, especially if they lack the qualities required to be respected. A good example is a senior student in school who is very friendly and loved by the junior students; a friend to the friendly senior student may not be respected by the junior students and may feel bad as a result; as a result, he may resort to bullying in order to gain the respect of the junior students.

 

Sources 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullying

https://www.mightyfighter.com/why-do-people-bully/

https://www.verywellfamily.com/types-of-bullying-parents-should-know-about-4153882

The Do’s & Don’ts Of LinkedIn, According To A Tech Recruiter

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The Do’s & Don’ts Of LinkedIn, According To A Tech Recruiter
The Do's & Don'ts Of LinkedIn, According To A Recruiter

If you’re actively looking for a new job (or even just open to seeing what’s out there), few tools are more valuable than LinkedIn.

You might disagree. Maybe you haven’t heard back from many companies you reached out to on LinkedIn, or the offers you do get aren’t quite what you’re looking for. In either of these cases, chances are, your profile might not be tailored to showcase the best qualities for the job you have in mind.

According to Codecademy Senior Technical Recruiter Will Rhudy, “I’m usually looking for a very specific Boolean search of key tech pieces. So if you aren’t talking about what you’ve actually been working on, you’re probably not going to come up in my search.”

Translation: Many recruiters like Will search for candidates on LinkedIn by using specific terms to filter potential candidates by how well they meet their requirements. These terms might include languages and frameworks like Python, Javascript, or React.

But recruiters are looking for other qualities in your LinkedIn profile beyond just hard skills. With the right touch, you can not only make your profile more visible, but also attract companies that you’d actually want to work for.

Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you optimize your LinkedIn profile.

DO showcase your personality

Your profile should accurately depict your skill set, but with a splash of personality. As Will explains: “In an ideal world, your personality and the vibe of a company would link up perfectly — so it’s definitely good to let your personality out, whatever that looks like.”

Tech jobs are more competitive than ever, so it’s important to find ways to stand out, and showcasing your personality can help give you an edge when you’re being weighed against other strong candidates.

How to optimize your profile: Using custom banners and personalized URLs can help make your LinkedIn profile more unique and stand out from others with similar names and credentials. You’ll also want to replace the boring gray avatar with a professional-looking profile picture: It’ll help generate more profile views and connections, according to LinkedIn. Make sure the photo is polished and looks like you — and bonus points if you smile.

And don’t forget to engage with your network. Like and comment on their posts when you see them on your feed. This will illustrate that you’re interested in forming genuine connections, and it also might entice people to engage with your own work — which will help it gain visibility.

DO include recommendations from junior and senior team members

Recommendations give recruiters a snapshot of what it’s like to work with you, and tangible evidence of your past contributions. The nice thing about LinkedIn is your references are on display in your profile, right in the recommendations section.

How to optimize your profile: Reach out to managers and team members you’ve collaborated with to see if they’ll leave a recommendation on your profile. You could even remind them of a few highlights of your working relationship to help them write it. Better yet, offer to write one for them first before asking them to return the favor.

Keep in mind: There’s value in getting recommendations from people across all levels of the corporate hierarchy, not just higher-ups.

Feedback from managers can help illustrate your ability to contribute to business goals and company-wide initiatives like OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). Recommendations from peers can showcase your collaborative and team-building skills, and those from more junior members can speak to your ability to help nurture and develop budding professionals — which is especially important if you’re applying for roles that include mentoring responsibilities.

DO demonstrate initiative and ownership over your work

New developers and career-switchers often have a rough time breaking into tech without professional experience under their belt. “It’s the whole chicken-before-the-egg thing,” Will says. “It’s very difficult, and it’s been in existence for a while.”

Fortunately, you can still gain relevant experience without a full-time job. Will explains that he’s seen many developers find success (and employment) after taking on contracted work and contributing to open-source projects and development initiatives. Finding independent work opportunities shows recruiters that you can commit to larger projects, and it also helps you gain experience that can qualify you for mid-level positions.

How to optimize your profile: Highlight any volunteer work you’ve done, and add links to your profiles on sites like Upwork and GitHub. Will often looks at GitHub to get a sense of how consistent people are with coding. “If I see a profile that’s lit up with yellow, red, and orange, I know that person spends a lot of time on their keyboard,” Will says, “and that they’ll probably be able to pick things up a little more quickly.”

Then, find opportunities to showcase ownership in your work. For example, spotlight projects you’ve led and include metrics that illustrate your impact. Not sure how to brag about all the great work you’ve done? Looking back at old performance reviews and formal feedback is one way to spark your memory and find tidbits and examples to include.

DON’T go overboard on your skills section

In your skills section, don’t be afraid to flex what you’re really good at, but fight the urge to stuff your profile full of skill-based keywords. While that might boost your chances of appearing in recruiters’ search results, they might not be the opportunities you’re interested in.

“In my experience, companies are looking for specialization,” Will says. “I would definitely recommend highlighting where you feel the most comfortable because at the end of the day, those are how recruiters are going to find you, and they’re the ones that’ll set you up for success in terms of being able to go through the technical interviews.”

How to optimize your profile: List your skills in order of proficiency, with the ones you’re most confident about at the top. Getting people in your network to vouch for your skills through endorsements will give recruiters even more assurance about your expertise.

Will points to LinkedIn’s skill assessments (built-in quizzes that you can find here) as a way to showcase your strengths. They’re not weighed quite as heavily as official certifications, but they show initiative, he says.

Adding keywords to your headline is another way to help show your specialization (and rank more highly in a recruiter’s search). For example, “Full-Stack Engineer” tells recruiters more than “Web Developer,” especially if you also list the specific languages and frameworks in your tech stack.

DON’T over-exaggerate what you can do

Some people create a persona on LinkedIn, highlighting qualities they believe companies are looking for or embellishing their contributions in past roles. While it’s natural to want to paint yourself in the best light when you’re job-hunting, misrepresenting your strengths will only lead to disappointment, Will explains.

“It’s in your best interest to put your honest foot forward,” he says. “The companies that you’ll want to work for will find you, and vice versa.”

How to optimize your profile: Be honest and ensure your experience section accurately portrays your contributions in past roles. If you’re having trouble putting your specific responsibilities into words, consider looking at tasks in a relevant job description for ideas (or see if you can dig up your old job descriptions).

Don’t stress if you don’t have every single quality a recruiter is looking for. As long as you have the core components and demonstrate that you’re willing to learn to fill in the gaps, you can still be a strong contender. Will’s advice: “Be confident in what you know, honest about what you don’t, and willing and excited to learn.” If you’ve yet to master a tool or technology that’s required for your desired role, show that you’re actively working toward bridging the gap with relevant courses and projects.

Learn more about standing out as a strong candidate

While LinkedIn can go a long way toward helping you find your dream job, it’s only a piece of the puzzle. There are several other steps you can take to help you stand apart from the competition.

First, check out our article on how to read a job description to learn how to find the keywords that’ll help your resume make it past applicant tracking systems. Then, prepare for technical interviews by practicing with code challenges. And if you need a little help brushing up on your skills, tackle a project in our project library — and once you’re done, copy it into a workspace and share the link on your LinkedIn.For more tips from recruiters and other helpful resources, check out our Career Center.

Career Center | Codecademy

Get ready to get hired. Make your next career move with the tools, resources, and support you need to reach your goal.

Film Club: ‘Under His Misspell’

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Film Club: ‘Under His Misspell’

4. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students have to say.)

5. After you have posted, try reading back to see what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting another comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.

6. To learn more, read the original Modern Love essay upon which the film is based, “Learning to Silence My Inner Editor.” The 2014 essay by Jessie Ren Marshall begins:

I am trained to be a critic. After several years of graduate school, I started to enjoy pointing out flaws in people’s writing, a ruthless activity with all the destructive pleasure of picking at a scab. The voice of my inner editor had become so powerful that it almost kept me from finding the love of my life.

The summer after graduation I had a temporary job teaching, but no idea of what to do next. Meanwhile, I lectured my writing students on the power of words: “Beware the thoughtless adjective. Beware the vague pronoun.”

I drew X’s over entire paragraphs. I pointed at their pages and said: “Imagine you’re the editor who pulled this from the slush pile. Is there a glaring typo in the first paragraph? Bam! Rejected.”

The students, a motley collection of high school juniors, stared back at me blankly. They enjoyed writing and saw no need for histrionics.

“You have to be vigilant,” I said. “Every cliché is a chance for the reader to leave you.”

I rescheduled my classes to attend a friend’s wedding in Hawaii. After a three-hour bus ride up the windward coast to the town of Laie, I had tangled hair but no brush, so I ran my fingers through the worst of the knots and walked up the hill to the ceremony.

James was the groom’s brother, the second oldest of five boys. All I knew was that he was single, attractive and didn’t care that my hair was a mess. We spun around on the grassy lawn, and afterward he took me to a bench overlooking the bay. Facing a sea too blue to be real, James held my hand and said I was beautiful.

What Students Are Saying About Emotional Intelligence, Speaking Their Mind at School and Underappreciated Sports

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What Students Are Saying About Emotional Intelligence, Speaking Their Mind at School and Underappreciated Sports

Some may feel stifled or censored by campus culture at their schools. I even concede that I have known many peers who have felt the same. I myself was once one of them. However, at this point, I really feel no such restraint on me. In my view, who cares what I think or what others think of me? I know that, when I look back on this time of my life, I will regret the things I chose not to say in the fear of criticism. Beyond that, the simple reality is that, in order for someone to censor you, they have to step out of the veil of ambiguity of being one in many in a silent room and face you directly, at least in real interaction, to tell you your view is invalid. That takes serious courage, and odds are most of the people defending conformity are perfectly content when hiding in it. In my eyes, speaking your mind is both acknowledgment of oneself and an act of intimidation to those who would silence you.

— Ethan, Glenbard West High School, IL

I believe that people have the right to disagree with opposing political ideologies, especially somewhere like a college where people of all different backgrounds, ages, cultures, and religions roam. If people exclude you just because of your opinions they weren’t worth your time anyways. Don’t take these little things to heart, learn to grow as a person, listen to others, and create your own opinions on subject matters.

— Demarcus, Block 1 Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC

As a student, who is currently active in various politically led organizations, I tend to hold many strong beliefs, and feel comfortable sharing these beliefs, when appropriate. While I see no harm in students being able to speak freely of their own personal beliefs, and encourage them to do so, I do find having a sense of self-censorship can be beneficial in regarding a time and place to discuss such topics, and doing so respectfully.

When discounting all sense of self-censorship one can appear impolite or irrelevant, as demonstrated in the recent State of Union Address where President, Joe Biden, was delivering his speech, and happened to be discussing the tragedy of his son, who passed away after developing brain cancer from toxin exposure when stationed in Iraq. Lauren Boebert, in the midst of Biden speaking out about his son, shouted “You put them in, 13 of them!” Boebert referenced the 13 other American’s who served and were killed in a bombing attack in Kabul. Whilst Boebert’s claim stands true, this outburst appeared impolite and harsh when Biden was discussing something so personal as his son’s passing. While I find everyone, including students, should be able and comfortable to speak on political and social topics in a school environment, I still find the need to do so in a timely, and in an appropriate manner.

— Jenna, Bryant High School

Although some people think that “self-censoring” your thoughts in the classroom is important in order to avoid disapproval from classmates or teachers, there is also an aspect of censoring what you say just to protect the feelings of others. Oftentimes there are thoughts that come about during a topic that may not be suitable for the learning environment — especially since they can be offensive. Depending on the student or teacher’s background, some conversations can be touchy, so it’s vital to think before you speak to not offend anybody, not just to avoid disapproval.

— Veronica, Glenbard West HS

I think this is a question of policy because our speech heavily depends on our school environment. If someone feels calm, safe and heard in a room, they will have no problem saying whatever comes to mind, while someone who has been bullied throughout their school years, been picked on and not allowed to voice their opinions would feel completely different. In order to make sure that kids stop feeling this way, the adults in school need to make sure justice is served to those that need it and that the school is a safe place for kids to voice their thoughts. Parents, at home need to make sure that they’re able to give their child attention and the proper care that they need in order for their confidence to increase.

— Aasia, Glenbard West High School

Camps believes that criticism is an important part to a successful and purposeful discussion. She also implies that in order for criticism to exist, there needs to be disagreeing and an exchange of clashing ideas instead of a boring discussion where every idea is repeated because people are scared to say something else. Though I concede that criticism is important for discussions and personal growth, I also insist that it can be harmful in some ways. When criticism is given in the wrong manner, it can be uncomfortable, and for some even hurtful. I encourage people to give constructive criticism, a way to respectfully give feedback and suggestions.

— Kevin, United States

What’s Going On in This Graph? | March 23, 2022

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What’s Going On in This Graph? | March 23, 2022

Special Announcement for March: The American Statistical Association is now running its annual This is Statistics Spring Contest. Students can showcase their statistical literacy and journalism skills by submitting their clear and compelling headlines for New York Times graphs in March’s four weekly challenges. To learn more, visit This Is Statistics.

The graph above shows the number of refugees from Ukraine as compared to the number of refugees from other countries, and the map below shows where they went since the start of the Russian invasion. The data is collected by the United Nations Refugee Agency and updated daily. To see the current count and how the count is tabulated, go to the organization’s data portal.

On Wednesday, March 23, we will moderate your responses live online. By Friday morning, March 25, we will provide the “Reveal” — the graph’s free online link, additional questions, shout outs for student headlines and Stat Nuggets.

1. After looking closely at the graphs above (or at these two full-size images), answer these four questions:

  • What do you notice?

  • What do you wonder?

The questions are intended to build on one another, so try to answer them in order.

2. Next, join the conversation online by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box. (Teachers of students younger than 13 are welcome to post their students’ responses.)

3. Below the response box, there is an option to click on “Email me when my comment is published.” This sends the link to your response which you can share with your teacher.

4. After you have posted, read what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting a comment. Use the “Reply” button to address that student directly.

On Wednesday, March 23, teachers from our collaborator, the American Statistical Association, will facilitate this discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time.

5. By Friday morning, March 25, we will reveal more information about the graph, including a free link to the article that includes this graph, at the bottom of this post. We encourage you to post additional comments based on the article, possibly using statistical terms defined in the Stat Nuggets.

We’ll post more information here on Thursday afternoon. Stay tuned!

More?

• See all graphs in this series or collections of 60 of our favorite graphs, 28 graphs that teach about inequality and 24 graphs about climate change.

• View our archives that link to all past releases, organized by topic, graph type and Stat Nugget.

• Learn more about the notice and wonder teaching strategy from this 5-minute video and how and why other teachers are using this strategy from our on-demand webinar.

• Sign up for our free weekly Learning Network newsletter so you never miss a graph. Graphs are always released by the Friday before the Wednesday live-moderation to give teachers time to plan ahead.

• Go to the American Statistical Association K-12 website, which includes teacher statistics resources, Census in the Schools student-generated data, professional development opportunities, and more.

Students 13 and older in the United States and the Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Confetti

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Confetti

Use your imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem inspired by this illustration — or, tell us about a memory from your own life that this image makes you think of.

Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.

Want more Picture Prompts? Find them all in this column.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Word of the Day: bona fide

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Word of the Day: bona fide

The term bona fide has appeared in 69 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Feb. 1 in “Behind Neil Young vs. Spotify, a Fraught Relationship With Musicians” by Ben Sisario:

Some artists’ contracts with their labels may give them the right to pull their music from online outlets for certain reasons, but others don’t, said Jeffrey M. Liebenson, a lawyer who has represented both record companies and digital services. And even if those rights are exercised, a service could raise objections to a mass exodus.

“Sometimes, the label can request a takedown if there’s a bona fide artist relations issue,” Liebenson said. “But the platform can get a little concerned: ‘Are they doing this because they have a legitimate artist relations issue, or are they waging a war against us?’”

Can you correctly use the word bona fide in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how bona fide can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try one of our monthly vocabulary challenges.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

An Interview With the Professor Behind CU Boulder’s Active Optical Devices Specialization

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An Interview With the Professor Behind CU Boulder’s Active Optical Devices Specialization

Discover how photonics and semiconductors are impacting everything from transportation to healthcare and learn how you can start preparing for a career in electrical engineering.

This is an exciting time to be pursuing an electrical engineering degree. Electrical engineers are shaping the future of transportation, pioneering new approaches to healthcare, and addressing the current chip shortage impacting global supply chains.

University of Colorado Boulder Professor Juliet Gopinath, PhD, is helping build the next generation of electrical engineers through research focused on photonics and quantum engineering and teaching on campus. Among many accomplishments, she has created the Active Optical Devices Specialization for the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering on Coursera.

We spoke with Professor Gopinath recently about her background, the MS-EE program, and her Active Optical Devices Specialization on Coursera.

Can you tell us a bit about your engineering background and why you chose to teach at the University of Colorado Boulder?

I am a fifth-generation engineer. I had been interested in science and math from a young age, so I studied electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota. Afterward, I applied to the electrical engineering program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and began my graduate work. At MIT, I had the chance to be part of a world-renowned Ultrafast Optics group. I studied the dynamics of electrons and holes in semiconductors with light, and I was blown away by how much you could learn.

When I graduated, I took a job at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, where I built high-power lasers, including semiconductor lasers. In 2009, I had the opportunity to move to the University of Colorado Boulder and join the Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering and Physics Departments.

What led you to create the Active Optical Devices Specialization on Coursera, and what kind of opportunity does this program represent for aspiring electrical engineers? 

After I joined CU-Boulder, I started teaching a course on Active Optical Devices—and really fell in love with it. The material was not only interesting, but useful. When I was on sabbatical, a colleague approached me about putting these courses on Coursera.

My dad is from India, and I know I’m privileged to have had these educational opportunities. People in other countries, especially women, often don’t have the same opportunities to take courses in electrical engineering or access higher education. I wanted to put my classes online as my way to give back and increase access to these topics.

What kind of background should students have if they want to take this next step on their career journey?

In order to study photonics, you need to have taken an undergraduate class in electromagnetics. This is the core curriculum for both electrical engineering and physics. It’s also extremely helpful if you have taken a basic Semiconductor Physics course, such as the one my colleague Professor Wounjhang Park has launched on Coursera.

Can you share some thoughts on why you’d recommend pursuing the MS-EE program as a foundation for professional skills?

The MS-EE program is a fantastic opportunity. You can earn your master’s without leaving your living room. Education is work, but it allows us to continue to innovate and change lives. If you are interested in photonics and semiconductors, this Specialization is a great way to learn the building blocks that you would need for a communications system or other optical system. 

Why are photonics and optics such important topics for future electrical engineers?

Photonics and optics really touch every part of your life—from the LiDAR remote sensing used to monitor natural disasters or assist with self-driving cars, to retina scanning used in eye exams. When you go to the supermarket and scan your item at checkout, a laser is involved. When you take part in a Zoom call, there’s an optical fiber that carries the discussion and video. Lasers are even used for defense, such as with standoff detection.

We’re hearing a lot about electrical engineering and lasers in the news lately. Do you think this is having an impact on hiring demand, and if so, why?

Lasers are used in the manufacturing of semiconductor chips. Right now, there’s a global shortage of chips that is impacting car manufacturing and more. Discussions are taking place about increasing this chip manufacturing in the United States. Learning the physics of semiconductors and interaction with light (optoelectronics) is essential. There is a considerable need for electrical engineers with knowledge in this subject area.

What should students expect upon enrolling in the program?

The first course of the Specialization, Light Emitting Diodes and Semiconductor Lasers, is definitely the toughest, but students can ask questions and engage with the course facilitator. It’s hard work, but students are able to reap the benefits and apply their knowledge to real-world problems after completion.

We hear you have an excellent course facilitator. How does he help current students?

Yes! The course facilitator, Allen Xu, collaborates with students in these Coursera classes—answering questions in discussion forums, giving pointers on starting homework, and helping improve the course based on student feedback. He graduated from the MS-EE program and completed the Active Optical Devices Specialization, so he understands students’ needs and has been inspired by the topic.

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights, and for building such an important program to support learners eager to move into this high-impact career field!

–––

Professor Gopinath teaches three courses on Coursera, which make up the Active Optical Devices Specialization:

  • Light Emitting Diodes and Semiconductor Lasers: This course explores semiconductor light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and lasers, as well as the important rules for their analysis, planning, design, and implementation.
  • Nanophotonics and Detectors: This course examines nanophotonic light-emitting devices and optical detectors, including metal semiconductors, metal semiconductor insulators, and pn junctions. The curriculum also covers photoconductors, avalanche photodiodes, and photomultiplier tubes.
  • Displays: This course dives into electronic display devices, including liquid crystals, electroluminescent, plasma, organic light-emitting diodes, and electrowetting-based displays. Students also learn about various design principles, affordances and liabilities, and a variety of applications in the real world of professional optics.

Students who take these courses can apply their academic credit towards the 100% online, flexible Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MS-EE) program—the only top-ranked online electrical engineering graduate program with no application and performance-based admission.*

*Optimal’s Guide to Online School, 2020 Best Online Master’s in Electrical Engineering Degrees in the US

Coursera expands LevelSets offering to help organizations assess workforce skills to  accelerate business transformation

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Coursera expands LevelSets offering to help organizations assess workforce skills to  accelerate business transformation

By Leah Belsky, Chief Enterprise Officer

Skills limitations around high-demand technologies such as machine learning, AI and cloud computing are causing the deceleration of business transformation in many companies. Recent McKinsey data shows that 42% of companies have stuck with the status quo for their tech strategy because it is too difficult to source the talent required for crucial technology transformation efforts. If businesses can’t find the talent they need, they must develop the talent internally through upskilling. This requires an effective way to assess and understand the skill gaps of their employees. 

Today, Coursera for Business is excited to announce the expansion of LevelSets, including 39 new assessments for technology, finance and marketing skills. For employees, LevelSets allows employees to quickly determine their proficiency in key skills and identify areas to focus on moving forward. For companies, these 15-minute assessments give organizations greater visibility and insights into employee skills and the skill gaps that exist. This in-depth view of workforce skills enables companies to execute more impactful talent management strategies, helping to accelerate business transformation efforts. 

The initial LevelSets offering featured more than 20 data and analytics-focused skills assessments. With the expansion to technology, finance, and marketing skills, LevelSets is the only solution that provides assessments across all of these critical domains. Now offering more than 60 total assessments, LevelSets allows employees to test proficiency in a range of high-demand skills including:

  • Technology – computer programming, dev ops, software engineering, network security, mobile application development. 
  • Data and Analytics – data analysis, data management, cloud computing, machine learning, and Python.
  • Finance – accounting, statistics, business analysis, investment management, and risk management.
  • Marketing – advertising, brand management, project management, research and design, and web development. 

Not only are LevelSets providing companies with greater visibility into workforce skills, but they’re also encouraging employees to learn. Recent data shows learners that took LevelSets are highlighly motivated to develop new skills, completing 87% more courses than learners that did not take an assessment. Providing employees with access to these assessments can help businesses organically drive an increase in upskilling throughout the organization.   

Customers such as Procter and Gamble, WPP, Societe Generale Group, and Ingka Group have adopted LevelSets to more effectively measure the skills of their workforce and to help learners develop high-demand digital skills faster.

“The LevelSets skills assessment capability has allowed me and my team of analytical chemists to rapidly and effectively learn new skills, especially in data science, a major focus area for us. LevelSets allow everyone to evaluate their current skill level, pick the courses that are right for them and quickly leverage these new skills to solve real business problems.”

–Jennifer Morgan, PhD, Group Scientist at Procter and Gamble

Coursera for Business now provides over 3,100 companies across the globe with role-based skills development featuring world-class content, hands-on learning, and the ability to track, measure, and benchmark skills through a single, unified platform. In addition to LevelSets, Coursera’s Skills Dashboard helps organizations visualize skills data in a variety of ways so businesses can better understand the skills that exist at every level within their organization. This tool provides a birds-eye view of skill mastery, showing how many people have mastered a specific skill and how many still have room to learn. With skills breakdowns by teams and individuals, organizations can also use these insights to quickly identify the best person to lead new initiatives that require specific skills. 

In addition, recent platform innovations such as SkillSets are helping employees develop skills for specific jobs. These SkillSets are the building blocks for our portfolio of Academies. Using underlying skills data, these Academies offer a packaged learning experience based on the depth of skill needed for specific roles across an organization.

As the rate of innovation accelerates, the development of new skills will be imperative. We are honored to work with leading organizations around the world to provide businesses with deeper visibility into the skills of their workforce and to create development paths for employees that allow them to advance their career.

LevelSets are available today across Coursera’s Tech, Marketing, and Data & Analytics Academies. 

The Music of Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day

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The Music of Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day

Alison HQ is in Galway, Ireland, so naturally, we are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, or as its also known: St. Paddy’s Day. Not only in our home office, but with all of you around the world. For those of you who aren’t quite sure what all the fuss and green beer are about every year. Today, we want to show you just how much there is to learn about The Emerald Isle and its rich heritage. From history to food and drink and especially music. It’s not all Riverdance and U2, and I can’t talk about the music of Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day without mentioning The Cranberries. I digress. Today, we are exploring traditional instruments and how you can master them with Alison. Now, join us as we celebrate with good friends, a whiskey or beer in hand, and lots of good music!

 

A Quick Historical Interlude 

The origin of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations goes back more than 1,500 years to the 17th century, when the earliest known ones were held on March 17, commemoration the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick,  the patron saint of Ireland,  in the 5th century. Also known as the Feast of Saint Patrick, that marked the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. 

The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, attending a céilí, which are traditional Irish gathering , special foods, folk music, dancing, drinking, particularly Irish whiskey and beer,  and a LOT of green. The colour green being part of the Irish flag, the shamrock, the three-leaf clover symbol of Ireland and of course, the country’s nickname: The Emerald Isle.

 

Have you ever felt that you have a bit of the Luck of the Irish? You like the band Flogging Molly way more that you feel you should? Odds are you may have a little of the Emerald Isle in your family history. Learn how to research your Irish genealogy for free, and you may just be surprised to find out that your love of Guinness is genetic!  With this course you will learn how to trace your Irish family history and what resources you can use to find out more about it, all from an Irish perspective. 

Learn The Music of Ireland this St. Patrick’s Day

The  musician Tomás Ó Canainn once said: “no aspect of Irish music can be fully understood without a deep appreciation of sean-nós singing. It is the key which opens every lock.” 

Traditional Sean-nós singing is performed in Gaelic without the backing of instruments and is known for its melodic and expressive beauty. The term sean-nós, translates to “in the old way” and what better way to get you started with tthe Music of Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day. 

 

 

When people think about Irish music, one of the first instruments that come to mind is the fiddle.

This is for good reason, Celtic traditional fiddle playing has passed down through the generations over many centuries. With our course on how you can learn the fundamentals of Irish fiddle playing, online for free. Your instructor, Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, is a professional musician and the face of Irish TV station TG4’s live music coverage channel. 

 

 

For our final instrument in this post, we are going to bring in the percussion section.

Introducing, the Bodhrán (pronounced bow-ron), a corner stone of traditional Irish folk music. With this course, you will learn the fundamentals of playing the Bodhrán. Put in the practice and you will be well on your way to drumming along to reels and rhythms accompanied by fiddles, accordions, tin-whistles and more.

 

From all of us here at Alison, Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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